MacKenzie Scott Gifts $15M to Hispanics in Philanthropy

Groundbreaking $4B Donation to 384 Nonprofits Addressing COVID-19 Relief and Systemic Inequities

Oakland, CA — Recognized for its high potential for impact, Hispanics in Philanthropy (HIP), a philanthropic leader mobilizing resources and social innovations in Latinx communities throughout the Americas, today received $15M from philanthropist and author, MacKenzie Scott. Scott’s gift will allow HIP to remain agile and responsive to current and future needs of grassroots organizations, disrupting systemic racism that is responsible for inequalities that plague Latinx communities while sustaining and growing the infrastructure of HIP. The transnational nonprofit organization has been in service of Latinx communities for nearly four decades, leveraging philanthropy to attain equity in the pursuit of justice. 

“We are so appreciative and inspired by this gift. To be recognized as a transformational force in philanthropy and social change by MacKenzie Scott is profoundly humbling,” said Ana Marie Argilagos, President and CEO of Hispanics in Philanthropy. “Only one percent of philanthropic dollars in the U.S. currently go to Latinx organizations, a margin so far from the need reflected in our communities. Ms. Scott’s approach to distributing her wealth is a model for all. We see her gift as a vote of confidence in the legacy we have built and the work mapped ahead, to create an equitable and just future for Latinxs across the Americas.”

The gift serves as a testament to HIP’s mission, centering Latinx equity, leadership, and voice to achieve social justice and shared prosperity for all. The investment will allow HIP to provide critical grantmaking and impact investments, supercharging the following  strategies:

• Mobilizing Resources for Latinx communities, by connecting and advocating for community organizations and philanthropy to collectively transform institutional resources across the Americas. Investing over $12M in the last 12 months, HIP led strategic grantmaking in Civic Participation, Racial and Gender Equity, and Migration and Forced Displacement, and other areas of key community impact.  
• Building Latinx Power by growing Latinx leadership for equitable inclusion and participation in the philanthropic, public, and private sectors. HIP drives systemic and structural changes that catalyze the power of Latinx communities to meet their needs and create lasting changes. HIP does this by providing financial and capacity-building support for civic engagement, community organizing, political education, and somatic healing. Within the philanthropic community, HIP also works on increasing representation at the C-suite and Trustee levels and supporting this leadership network through its Latinx Líderes Program;
• Democratizing Philanthropy by activating a movement of engaged individual philanthropists in partnership with Latinx communities across the Americas. This includes encouraging pathways for giving outside of traditional philanthropy (including crowdfunding through its HIPGive platform, which raised over $1.2M in 2020; impact investing through the PowerUp Fund, which deployed $3M in cash assistance and coaching to hundreds of Latinx small business owners this year;
• Channeling Latinx Influence and Thought Leadership to drive philanthropy to disrupt philanthropy, change the Latinx narrative, and build power to further evolve the broader social sector.

This unprecedented year forced HIP, like many, to refocus its agenda to address specific needs in communities disproportionately affected by 2020’s multiple crises. Argilagos explains that “at HIP, we spur learning about needs in our community, and then create mechanisms for dollars and innovation to flow where they are needed.” As a result HIP’s COVID-19 Rapid Response Fund, PowerUp Fund for Latinx small businesses, the Migration Rapid Response Fund, the COVID-19 Emergency Fund to combat domestic/gender violence, the Essential Fund for frontline workers, Farmworker Relief Fund with Justice for Migrant Women, and Central American Hurricane Response Funds, provided support to grantees in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Costa Rica, Colombia, Brazil, Chile, and the United States. 

Scott says her team began its review with a list of nearly 6,500 nonprofits, narrowed that to 822, and finally funded 384, noting in her announcement that once she selects her grantees she likes to “get out of their way.” Adding, “We do this research and deeper diligence not only to identify organizations with high potential for impact, but also to pave the way for unsolicited and unexpected gifts…” The donations form a part of a Giving Pledge MacKenzie Scott made to donate a significant amount of her wealth over her lifetime.